Coverings laid on even surfaces, such as carpet coverings laid on floors, are, once they are laid, glued to their bearing surface. This prevents that the coverings get out of place or are displaced when being walked or driven on. If such coverings are to be replaced by new coverings as a result of wear or damage, the old coverings have to be removed first.
Apparatus allowing the removal of such old coverings piece by piece or width by width are already known, whereby a motor-driven, swinging separating knife is pushed between the covering and the even bearing surface. These known apparatus are very bulky and can be handled by the user only with an enormous expenditure of force and difficulty.
Such an apparatus for removing floor coverings is known from the German Utility Model Document DE 76 18 703.6. A motor and a gear for driving the separating knife are arranged on a frame with a handle for moving the apparatus forward. Two guiding wheels are provided opposite the separating knife, which facilitate the guidance and the forward movement of the apparatus when removing a floor covering.
An apparatus for lifting off a floor covering is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,052, wherein an electromotor and a hydraulic cylinder for driving a separating knife and a means for winding up the lifted off floor covering are provided on a frame. This apparatus has a very massive structure and is cumbersome to handle.
The invention is based on the object to provide a generic apparatus the construction of which is simple and neat, and which allows an energy-saving and comfortable handling.